The UK’s University of Nottingham has announced that it is partnering with plant-based food producer Jampa’s and Canadian food manufacturer Tartistes to develop the “next generation of plant-based protein products”.
Researchers at the University’s Division of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics have been awarded funding for the project as part of the UK-Canada Innovate UK initiative, which aims to foster sustainable innovation and strengthen ties between the UK and Canadian food sectors. The project builds on Jampa’s long-standing relationship with the University’s Food Innovation Centre (FIC), which will lead the product design and development.
The collaboration will focus on reformulating Jampa’s plant-based beef alternative to include local and valorised crops that could be used in both the UK and Canadian markets. There will be a strong emphasis on developing plant-based products with high nutrient bioavailability and digestibility, with the help of the University’s Nutritional Composition and Digestibility lab.
After development, the meat alternatives will be subjected to rigorous consumer taste tests at the University’s Sensory Science Centre. The team will work with Jampa’s packaging designers to ensure product characteristics are effectively communicated.
Bridging the gap
Jampa’s was founded by Richard Fox, a vegan chef and cookbook author who has developed a plant-based pork pie free of artificial ingredients. The company has also announced plans to launch a plant-based beef and ale pie, along with braised plant-based beef in red wine.
By combining product reformulation, nutrition science, sensory science, and packaging design, the University of Nottingham project hopes to maximise the commercial success of Jampa’s plant-based beef and provide insights into how challenges can be overcome in the broader category.
“This collaboration represents an exciting step forward in our work developing innovative, sustainable food solutions,” said Dr. Qian Yang, project lead at the University of Nottingham. “By collaborating with Jampa’s, this grant bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world application. It takes a consumer-centric approach to develop nutritionally enriched and great-tasting reformulated products that truly resonate with consumers’ needs and preferences.”